Since the start of the conflict on August 6, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), 1,843 Palestinians had died in this conflict, many of whom were civilians. 66 Israelis lost their lives in the fighting, and nearly all of them have been soldiers.

But a number of news organizations have been attempting to quantify the precise number of civilians killed over the course of the conflict in Gaza. An interesting result of one such investigation was to determine that young men of fighting age were disproportionately represented among the Palestinian dead.

An analysis by the New York Times looked at the names of 1,431 casualties and found that “the population most likely to be militants, men ages 20 to 29, is also the most overrepresented in the death toll. They are 9% of Gaza’s 1.7 million residents, but 34% of those killed whose ages were provided.”

“At the same time, women and children under 15, the least likely to be legitimate targets, were the most underrepresented, making up 71% of the population and 33% of the known-age casualties.”

A similar investigation conducted by Al Jazeera came up with the same conclusion: young men in their 20s were vastly overrepresented in the Palestinian death toll.

An Israeli spokesman told BBC reporters that the United Nations’ figure is based on numbers provided by the Gaza health ministry which is operated by Hamas. “He said that part of the reason for the discrepancy between the figures was ‘when militants are brought to hospitals, they are brought in civilian clothing, obscuring terrorist affiliations,’” the BBC reported.

The implicit condemnation of Israel which so many news organizations allowed themselves to engage in now looks more than a little misguided. Perhaps the press should not have taken the United Nations and Hamas entirely at its word, considering their status as a U.S.-designated terrorist group and all.

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I saw photos of dead bodies being pulled from the rubble that were labeled civilians. However, they were all young men, with beards and no mustaches, rolled up pants, thick belts, and pants with all those pockets. IOW, the Hamas uniform.

And this surprises who? The braindead? Well, it does surprise me that it’s not more lopsided, it probably is in actuality. And the statistics should separate out women from children; I have no doubt Palestinian women (please excuse my use of the polite term) are doing their patriotic duty to exterminate the Jews.

How many of the children documented to have been killed by Israeli military action were (probably against their will) wearing ‘Kamikaze’ vests?

How many of them were “fastened” (against their will) to buildings being used by Hamas for military operations?
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We know that Hamas has engaged in both of these practices … but how can we prove the numbers?

Ya ya, I know you’re kidding, but I don’t hate; it makes me sad and angry. I mourn the decline and fall of Western Civilization. Despite the stated target, I think this sentiment applies to all:

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!

The way you get your next door neighbour to admit he is humping a dead goat in the backyard is to first get him to deny it. See, those opposed to Israel will take your own figures and use them against you…they will say that the IDF has directly targeted those under 15 and to date has killed over 472 innocent children (1,431 x .33). Are you saying Israel is at fault for the 472 deaths of children? Again, the progressives will quote you as saying that from reading your article.

The true point your article should have addressed is that Hamas is to blame for the collateral damage and death of innocent children and that be it one or a million; any deaths caused by Hamas directly or indirectly must be condemned by all people and nations.

Will progressives still use your words against you. Of course, but all those reading your article are not progressives. You are writing articles to inform and the message in this case shouls always be that Hamas is at fault.

An analysis by the New York Times looked at the names of 1,431 casualties and found that “the population most likely to be militants, men ages 20 to 29, is also the most overrepresented in the death toll.

Beverly Dear, you are being very shallow. Yes, they started the violence with Israel. But that is not the whole story of accountablility. How about the fact that they use civilians to hide behind at every opportunity? How about many of the casualties are directly inflicted by Hamas because they can’t shoot straight? How about the fact that their military infrastructure is in schools, mosques, playgrounds,daycare centers, hospitals, apartment buildings, etc?

The depth of destruction in Gaza has been wrought by the evil of Hamas. I’m agast that the Gazans are so stupid and ignorant people that they allowed, elected, Hamas to lead them. I am thankful that Hamas is so stupid and ignorant that they cannot do widespread harm to Israel. But it is quite obvious that they deserve each other and will lead each other to their deaths.

LOL, technically it is. Until the US boots the UN out they will be like my ex… we pay the bills and they screw us over every chance they get and act like they have done us a favor… Much like her, they ain’t worth it!

I thought the Dems (and therefore the media) were under the impression that 20-year-old minds weren’t ready for free speech, so Hamas is just doing them the same favor the Dems desire to – thinking for them.
Right?
The Dems must be soooooooo jealous.

An interesting result of one such investigation was to determine that young men of fighting age were disproportionately represented among the Palestinian dead.

Lying about the truth is SOP for the Palestinians and for the anti-Israel LSM to parrot their propaganda. Just like when the news photos of the fake dead Palestinians were widely published a few years back. But even so, the Palestinians have been using this type of propaganda for over 50 years. It didn’t take long before they discovered the anti-Semitic western press was eager to help them spread their lies and deceit.

The Palestinians voted for Hamas knowing what they were. They have no one to blame but themselves.

Since the start of the conflict on August 6, according to UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), 1,843 Palestinians had died in this conflict, many of whom were civilians. 66 Israelis lost their lives in the fighting, and nearly all of them have been soldiers.

The top level figure of 1,843 is bullshit. It’s not really a UN number, it’s the figure handed to the UN by Hamas’s “Ministry of Health” and accepted without question because otherwise you might get shot. Hamas has all the incentive in the World to lie and blow up that figure.

“At the same time, women and children under 15, the least likely to be legitimate targets, were the most underrepresented, making up 71% of the population and 33% of the known-age casualties.”

We have heard Hamas admit, in fact boast that hundreds of children died in the process of digging tunnels into Israel. Any names of children provided by Hamas’s “Ministry of Health” to the UN will include those children.

“Perhaps the press should not have taken the United Nations and Hamas entirely at its word, considering their status as a U.S.-designated terrorist group and all.”

The way that was written reads as though the United Nations is a U.S.-designated terrorist group, but then I thought, well that’s about right. If it isn’t, it should be.

Tom Servo on August 8, 2014 at 9:26 AM

Well, if you are hiding Hamas’s rockets in the schools you built an run; and if when you get caught, you hand those rockets back to Hamas, then you are at least an accessory to terrorism if not a terrorist yourself.

Seems to me that all UN installations (and personnel) should be considered military targets, and treated as such.

“He said that part of the reason for the discrepancy between the figures was ‘when militants are brought to hospitals, they are brought in civilian clothing, obscuring terrorist affiliations,’” the BBC reported.